Leading pro-life group issues warning about Nadine Dorries' bill to reform abortion law

19 October 2006

The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) - the world's first pro-life lobbying and educational organisation, founded in 1967 - has issued a warning about a bill proposed by Nadine Dorries MP which claims to seek to reduce the upper time limit for abortions.

Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, said: "Mrs Dorries, in a letter to MPs, states that the upper time-limit on abortions is 24 weeks. Not only is this statement misleading - the upper limit is birth - but the particular 24 week limit which appears in the Abortion Act 1967 only applies to abortions done on social grounds. This means that Mrs Dorries's bill will mean abandoning disabled babies, who will still be allowed to be killed up to birth. Such lethal discrimination is entirely unacceptable in a civilised society."

SPUC is also very worried about the provision in Mrs Dorries's bill to fast-track abortions after final consent has been given. This provision may mean that even more resources will be spent on killing the unborn.

"Mrs Dorries's attack upon the pro-life movement - accusing it of having "ghettoised the arguments", "stifled debate", "halted progress" and "used an emotional line of reasoning" - is simply ill-informed. SPUC has used scientific evidence to demonstrate the humanity of the unborn child and has deepened the discussion through the presentation of medico-legal research.

"It should be noted that Mrs Dorries has said that she "fully endorse[s] a woman's right to choose"."